Abbott relief after `shameful' first half

27 November 2010 07:30

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Carlisle manager Greg Abbott admitted that a few home truths were needed in his half-time team talk before the Cumbrians saved their FA Cup blushes with two late goals in a 3-2 win over Tamworth.
Tamworth were leading 2-1 with four minutes to go after goals from Tom Marshall and Danny Thomas. But with time running out Carlisle, who had equalised in the 50th minute through striker Gary Madine, levelled again through Francois Zoko in the 86th minute before James Chester, on loan from Manchester United, headed a 90th-minute winner.
Abbott said: "I was really upset at half-time for the fans who have backed us all season.
"But I have to take my hat off to the players because they responded and we were all over them in the second half.
"My first feeling is one of relief. It was a cracking Cup-tie and Tamworth played a massive part in that. But we did our best to make a mess of it. There were a few home truths at the interval. This is the happiest I've been to get a victory because we were out of it and second best.
"I was ashamed of our first-half performance, but we turned a difficult situation into a win."